The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has called for the urgent implementation of an international, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, as it unveiled its latest Global Commitment report.
According to the report, which tracks the progress of more than 1,000 signatories to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Global Commitment, the collective efforts of signatories have avoided 9.6 million tonnes of virgin plastic since the Global Commitment was launched in 2018, equivalent to 1 trillion single-use plastic bags.
It also found that signatories have significantly outperformed peers in tackling plastic waste over the six-year period, and that brand and retail signatories have reduced their virgin plastic use by 3%, while the market as a whole has increased its use by 8%.
‘Voluntary business action’
Commenting on the findings, Aisha Stenning, Business Action Lead for the Plastics Initiative at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, said, “The Global Commitment has demonstrated the power of voluntary business action in the fight against plastic waste and pollution, keeping resources in the ground and out of our environment.
“Although the world remains far off track from fixing this crisis, signatories continue to significantly outperform their peers and demonstrate the roadblocks and challenges on the path ahead.”
Meeting in South Korea
Global representatives are set to meet in Busan, South Korea, later this month, for INC-5 – the final round of talks to secure a UN treaty based on legally binding global rules to end plastic pollution and address packaging waste.
According to the Foundation, the negotiations in Busan represent ‘a pivotal, once-in-a-generation opportunity’ to tackle plastic pollution.
Stenning noted that a combination of voluntary action with a legally-binding instrument is “crucial”, saying, “Negotiators have a chance to agree on a global plastics treaty this month, and we call on them to finalise an ambitious agreement to accelerate progress in the fight against plastic waste and pollution.”
The Global Commitment was developed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in partnership with the UN Environment Programme. Read more here.
